30-Minute Coconut Milk Red Curry with Shrimp

This healthy red curry recipe is flavorful, filling and a great 30-minute meal. It’s made with shrimp, canned coconut milk, red Thai curry paste, and select spices. Make it in the Instant Pot or stovetop, you choose! Serve the red curry with cilantro (optional), salt to taste, and over rice or cauliflower rice.

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Let’s get ready for some more healthy 30 minute meals! This instant pot red curry is everything you want in a weeknight meal. Hands off, super easy, healthy, and gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from everyone! I love making instant pot recipes for weeknights where we are scattered in a few different places.

Just this week, we’ve enjoyed Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore and Turkey Chili. As a nutritionist, these healthy meals with lean protein and vegetables are not only good for you, but also packed with flavor! This red curry shrimp recipe is no different. The robust flavor of spiced red curry is enhance with tangy lime, and tamed down with creamy coconut milk making it one of those easy shrimp recipes that anyone can whip up quickly.

Let’s get right to it with this healthy 30 minute recipe!

How to make Red Curry Shrimp

This recipe starts with a quick marinade for the shrimp in delicious spices, fresh ginger, creamy coconut milk, and tangy lime. While the shrimp marinades, the sauce is made in the instant pot! Or stovetop if you choose. Here is what you need for this recipe:

• Full fat canned coconut milk
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Curry spice
• Fresh lime juice
• Fresh ginger
• Garlic
• Peeled and deveined large shrimp
• Coconut oil or olive oil
• Onion
• Can diced tomatoes
• Thai red curry paste
• Sea salt
• Fresh cilantro

You will begin by whisking together your marinade: coconut milk, cumin, paprika, curry spice, lime juice, fresh ginger, and garlic. Let the shrimp sit while the red curry sauce is made in the Instant Pot. In this dish, the shrimp is not brought to pressure, only the sauce. This helps the flavor of the sauce enhance, but the shrimp will be ruined if cooked to pressure (way too rubbery). The shrimp cooks after, and the flavor is incredible!

Once the sauce is done cooking, release the steam and add the shrimp with the marinade. Select cancel, then the saute function on the Instant Pot. Let it sit and cook for 2-5 minutes or until no longer pink.

To make this recipe on the stovetop, it’s more hands on. You will still marinate the shrimp, and the sauce will start with a saute of the ginger and onion. The sauce will also simmer for 10-15 minutes before adding the shrimp.

Should I use Fresh or Frozen Shrimp?

I would recommend to use fresh shrimp for this recipe or shrimp that is defrosted. Do not use shrimp from a frozen state! It’s easy to defrost shrimp. Frozen shrimp is inexpensive and can be just as tasty if defrosted properly! You can defrost in the fridge overnight, or you can run under cool water for about 20 minutes.

Serving and Storing

Serve this recipe over rice or cauliflower rice. A few of my favorite variations for this one is my Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice or Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice. Top with cilantro!

You can store in the fridge for up to 5 days. This recipe does not freeze well with the coconut milk.

5 from 4 votes

30-Minute Coconut Milk Red Curry with Shrimp

By Amy Rains

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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This healthy red curry recipe is flavorful, filling and a great 30-minute meal made with shrimp, canned coconut milk, red Thai curry paste, and select spices. Make it in the Instant Pot or stovetop, you choose! Serve the red curry with cilantro (optional), salt to taste, and over rice or cauliflower rice.

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Ingredients 

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For the Marinade:

• ▢ 1/4 cup coconut milk, canned
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ 2 tsp curry spice
• ▢ 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the Sauce:

• ▢ 2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
• ▢ 1 small white onion, diced
• ▢ 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
• ▢ 3 tbsp red Thai curry paste
• ▢ 1 14 oz coconut milk
• ▢ 1 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro for garnish, optional

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

For the Instant Pot:

• Begin my making your marinade. Place coconut milk, spices, lime juice, sea salt, ginger, and garlic in a large bowl. Whisk together, then add shrimp. Toss to coat and let sit while you prepare the sauce.
• Select the saute function on your Instant Pot. Once hot, add oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Now add onion, ginger, and garlic. Let saute for a few minutes, then select cancel. Now add tomatoes, curry paste, coconut milk, and salt. Place lid on the IP and secure. Make sure the valve is sealed. Select the manual function, and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
• Once sauce is complete, use a quick release on your IP. Remove the lid once all the steam has been released, and select cancel. Now select, saute function and add in shrimp plus juices from the marinade.
• Simmer until the shrimp is cooked through and no longer pink, about 2-5 minutes. Serve with optional cilantro, salt to taste, and over rice or cauliflower rice. 

For the Stovetop:

• Begin my making your marinade. Place coconut milk, spices, lime juice, sea salt, ginger, and garlic in a large bowl. Whisk together, then add shrimp. Toss to coat and let sit while you prepare the sauce.
  
• Heat a large skillet to medium. Once hot, add oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Now add onion, ginger, and garlic. Let saute for a few minutes, then add tomatoes, curry paste, coconut milk, and salt. Reduce heat to a simmer, and let flavors develop for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally .
• Now add shrimp and the marinade juices to the sauce. Turn heat to medium – medium high. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until shrimp is no longer pink. Serve with optional cilantro, salt to taste, and over rice or cauliflower rice.

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